DATE:  26 August 2007

TO:  AAHF MEMBERS, PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS, DONORS ETC.

SUBJECT:  SKY SOLDIERS/ARMY AVIATION HERITAGE FOUNDATION (AAHF) NEWS BRIEF Vol 07-13

PURPOSE:  To Periodically Inform the Membership of the Activities of the Organization
 

This will be an abbreviated version of the News Brief as the publication date is while the Foundation will be performing at the Cleveland Air Show.  A report after the event will be sent out if time permits, or at least by the 1 October 2007 News Brief.

I.   MAINTENANCE:

No input from the Maintenance side, but you can be sure things are being done.   The proof of that is the fact that we make every show scheduled.

II NEAR TERM EVENT SCHEDULE (August/September):

DATE                     LOCATION               PURPOSE 

Aug 31-Sep 3                  Cleveland, OH                      Air Show

III.    AAHF COORDINATING EVENTS (Not Listed Above):

DATE               TIME              PURPOSE 

22 Sep 07             0930                     Monthly Meeting

13 Oct 07              0930                     Monthly Meeting

17 Nov 07              0930                     Monthly Meeting

8 Dec 07               TBA                       Christmas Party

IV.   ADDITIONS/DELETIONS:

N/A

V. RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Aug 24-26    Indianapolis, IN     Air Show

VI. ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGES:

(1)    Notes of interest:

A.   One of the local TV stations in Indianapolis carried the entire day's air show on streaming video.  Camera work was excellent and so was the sound.   If it was recorded and we can find it, we will provide a link to the site.

B.   An article was published in an Indianapolis newspaper last week prior to the show.

News Article from the Indy Star, August 22, 2007

VETERAN PILOTS, VETERAN COPTERS

235-mph aircraft used in Desert Storm will showcase maneuvers at weekend air show

The U.S. Navy's Blue Angels might be the headliners at this weekend's Indianapolis Air Show, but another group of pilots is bringing its own brand of bravado and skill.

The U.S. Army Sky Soldiers, a group of veteran chopper pilots, will be performing aerial stunts and demonstrations with Cobra attack helicopters.

John "Skip" Lam, 58, first flew the Cobra as a young pilot during the Vietnam War. This weekend he'll be among the Sky Soldiers flying above Mount Comfort Airport in Hancock County, just east of Indianapolis.

"The helicopter's maneuvers are very dynamic," Lam said. "The precision with which we're working is exciting for everyone. Those blade tips are going almost as fast as the speed of sound."

The aircraft is capable of speeds up to 235 mph, Lam said.

Unlike the fighter jets that streak past air show audiences and disappear over the horizon, the helicopters stay in sight as they hover, dive and perform other maneuvers.

"Everything will happen right in front of them," said Lam, who after 22 years in the Army worked several years as a TV and film stunt pilot on shows including "Magnum, P.I."  Nowadays he works as an instructor and test pilot.

Unlike the Navy's Blue Angels and the Air Force's Thunderbirds, the Sky Soldiers are not active-duty military personnel. Rather, the Sky Soldiers are a civilian unit -- made up mostly of military retirees -- that has a marketing contract with the U.S. Army.

The involvement of veterans in the group, along with other factors, drew the attention of Mike Potter, chairman of the Indianapolis Air Show.

"We really wanted to bring them in because they do highlight the veterans," Potter said.

"And it's a rotor aircraft versus fixed-wing so it does give the spectators a different view. . . . They also do a lot of pyrotechnics and things of that nature. It's a very high-energy show they put on."

The pyrotechnics are mostly simulations of ground explosions, Potter said.

Members of the Sky Soldiers are serious about their role as ambassadors for the Army, Lam said.

"We're a group of veterans flying veteran aircraft," Lam said. "We're supporting the U.S. Army at a time they really need the support as far as recruiting and other things. . . . It's a little bit of a history lesson on the things we learned while we were on active duty."

While some branches of the military still use the Cobra attack helicopter, the Army has retired it in favor of the more modern Apache, Lam said. The Desert Storm conflict was the last major military operation in which the Army used the Cobra, Lam said.

"The aircraft I fly served in Vietnam and Desert Storm," Lam said. "It's a piece of history itself."

(2)  Membership News: 

If you have made changes to your contact information, email address, or simply have news or questions, send to our new email address:  membership@armyav.org .  Don't forget that membership applications, as well as a link to our new email address, are available online at www.armyav.org . 

(3)  Changes

If you have constructive criticism or suggestions for improvement to the news brief, you can also contact membership@armyav.org .

FUTURE AIR SHOW SCHEDULE

DATE          LOCATION     SHOW NAME        AIRCRAFT

Oct 20-21        Augusta, GA      Boshears Skyfest     1 Cobra, 1 Huey

FUTURE SKYSOLDIERS DEMONSTRATION TEAM SCHEDULE

DATE                  LOCATION                 EVENT

Oct 19                           Ft. Worth, TX                   Air Show